Open trans military service: Is it really so important now?
Posted Thursday, October 20th, 2011
Commentary: Trans Progressive
by Autumn Sandeen

http://lgbtweekly.com/2011/10/20/open-trans-military-service-is-it-really-so-important-now/

Quite a few columns ago I wrote a piece outlining what I understand to be the six priorities of trans-community activism. In the column, Transgender activism goals, these priorities, in no particular order, were listed as:

• Employment
• Housing
• Public accommodation
• Full access to education
• Full access to healthcare services
• Legal recognition of appropriate gender

There are two other priorities that could be significant goals of transgender activism. Those are marriage equality, and open service in the armed forces. The question becomes one of where to expend our community's scarce activism resources. Should marriage equality or open service for trans servicemembers be on the short list of issues upon which the trans community expends its limited resources?

Should Open Trans Military Service Be A Trans Community Priority?
By: Autumn Sandeen Saturday October 22, 2011 10:08 am    

http://pamshouseblend.firedoglake.com/2011/10/22/should-open-trans-military-service-be-a-trans-community-priority/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

In my most recently published weekly column for LGBT Weekly, I wrote a piece with the headline. Open trans military service: Is it really so important now?

I first indicate that marriage equality is a broader LGBT community issue, so trans specific civil rights organizations aren't needed to be organized or utilized directly for a concerted marriage equality push. That doesn't mean trans people shouldn't care about marriage equality. Trans community members can work within the preexistent, broader LGBT community coalition to achieve marriage equality for all.

Next in the article, I spell out some arguments for and against adding open service for trans people to the short list of trans community civil rights priorities.